BREAKING: Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy Retiring

Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy announced he will be retiring from the bench at the end of July.

Kennedy, 81, has been a noted swing vote on the court with his decisions often determine the deciding vote on a court split 4 to 4 between liberals and conservatives even though he was considered a conservative, having been appointed by President Reagan in 1987.

Justice Kennedy today advised his colleagues that he is submitting to the President a
formal notification of his decision, effective July 31 of this year, to cease active status as an
Associate Justice and to assume senior status. He said: “It has been the greatest honor and
privilege to serve our nation in the federal judiciary for 43 years, 30 of those years on the
Supreme Court.” He added that while his family was willing for him to continue to serve, his
decision to step aside was based on his deep desire to spend more time with them. He said, too,
that admiration for his colleagues on the Court means that he will retain warm ties with each of
them in the years to come.

Justice Kennedy was nominated by President Reagan and took his oath of office on February 18, 1988.

This letter is a respectful and formal notification of my decision, effective July 31 of this year, to end my regular active status as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, while continuing to serve in a senior status, as provide in 28 U.S.C. § 371(b).

For a member of the legal profession it is the highest of honors to serve on this court. Please permit me by this letter to express my profound gratitude for having had the privilege to seek in each case how best to know, interpret, and defend the Constitution and the laws that must always conform to its mandates and promises.

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